78 2019 | TRENDS INTERNATIONAL TRENDS FROM SPAIN Neutral Colors The major colors remain, in order of importance, white, grey and black and that’s not likely to change. With whites selling 10x the combined total of all other colors, there is a gamut of whites emerging with the most interesting being a “soft-white” with a soft grey undertone. An interest- ing trend is a return to beige and brown to round out the neutral pal- ette. The neutrals are classic, mid- spectrum, un-embellished and clean tones that are easy to build a scheme around, offering broad appeal to a lot of design styles. Accent colors tend towards over-saturation this year with no clear front-runner in terms of a specific color but a trend towards deep and brooding tones in Atlantic blue, tannin-soaked burgundy, steely selvedge denim and dark arboreal greens. Innovative Formats New and innovative formats this year are either huge or tiny in terms of facial dimensions. With Lamina- style presses, massive slabs and pan- els can be as large as 5’ x 11’. Even more traditional “tiles” are growing with sizes like 32” x 64” and 48” x 48” becoming more common. However, large-format tiles are not for everyone, and so, the revival of the small format floor is real this year. Our love affair here in the US with the small-format wall tile has never cooled since Grant and LaFarge designed them in 1904 for the NYC subway system which became their namesake. Smaller- format floors have come in and out of vogue over the past few decades but it is clear that in 2019, they will be back stron- ger than ever since the early eight- 2019 Tile Trends Round-Up Tile of Spain, the association of over 125 Spanish tile manufacturers, is forecasting macro trends for 2019 that include: neutral colors, innovative formats, chiseled edges, vintage looks, geometric accents, gauged porcelain panels, and porcelain pavers. This year, look for a shift away from wood-look planks to more innovative patterns and formats. The overall feel of the trends this year is multi-layered and sophisticated without feeling pretentious. There is a decided respect for materials and a studied restraint shown in an effort to not over-design or embellish, but simply highlight the elements that make that material special. The overall design language on the surface may not look dramatically different from last year, but the attention to detail and deep introspection leading to purposeful edits certainly are just that, dramatically different. Take a tour through 2019 tile trends below or visit: https://tileofspainusa.com/2019-tile-trends-round-up/ for even more details. And of course, be sure to visit Tile of Spain when in Orlando for Coverings to see these products – and more – in person. Natucer Regles Series Roca Tile, CC Mosaics Collection